The present invention relates to a photographic printing apparatus capable of conducting printing exposure of images on photographic films of plural types each being different from others in terms of width.
Heretofore, in a photographic printing apparatus capable of conducting printing exposure of an image on a photographic film having a first width and of conducting printing exposure of an image on a photographic film having a second width, which is different from the first width, a film carrier having a lane for passing the photographic film having the first width through and a film carrier having a lane for passing the photographic film having the second width through have been used by switching them depending on a width of the photographic film to be subjected to printing exposure. For example, in the photographic printing apparatus, which is capable of conducting printing exposure of an image on a 135 type film and is also capable of conducting printing exposure of an image on an IX 240 type film (different from the 135 type film in terms of width), a film carrier having a lane for passing the photographic film having the first width through and a film carrier having a lane for passing the photographic film having the second width through have been used by switching them depending on a width of the photographic film to be subjected to printing exposure.
In the case of using a film carrier having a lane, which passes a 135 type film there through, and a film carrier having a lane, which passes an IX 240 type film through by switching them depending on a width of a photographic film to be subjected to printing exposure, frequent replacement of the film carrier is required when the number of prints from the IX 240 type film increases, which results in poor operability, though it is not so problematic when the number of prints from the 135 type film is overwhelming.
Further, when a carrier is set to the prescribed position on the printing apparatus main body, the height of a focusing plane from the reference position for film setting on the carrier needs to be strict, and therefore, dispersion in plural carriers is required to be in the extremely narrow range, which has compelled hardships in securing accuracy for processing, assembling and adjusting.
Film damage has been caused by an unskilled operator who inserted in a film carrier the film whose width is different from that of the film carrier.
It is double investment and is uneconomical to prepare and keep two types of film carriers separately for using them.